Criminal Justice News

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Department of Justice Announces New Policy to Address Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Stalking in the Workplace

Justice Department Is First Major Federal Agency to Submit
Final Workplace Domestic Violence Policy in Response to Presidential Memorandum

Deputy Attorney General James M. Cole today announced the
release of a new Department of Justice policy for employees addressing the
effects of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking in the
workplace.The Department of Justice has
long been at the forefront of addressing domestic violence in the workplace.

“With approximately 114,000 employees in 53 components, the
Justice Department is a diverse workplace and it is our hope that this policy
will serve as a model for other employers to address domestic violence, dating
violence, sexual assault, and stalking,” said Deputy Attorney General
Cole.“This new policy, and the steps it
requires components to take, will improve the safety of the department’s
workplaces and will help us better support victims.”

On April 18, 2012, President Obama issued a memorandum entitled
“Establishing Policies for Addressing Domestic Violence in the Federal
Workforce,” which required the Office of Personnel Management to issue guidance
on the development of agency-specific policies to address domestic violence in
the workplace.All federal agencies are
required to develop an agency-specific policy based on the guidance.The department welcomed the chance to build
upon the existing policy first created by Attorney General Janet Reno in 1999,
which established support and resources for department employees who experience
domestic violence.This order
unequivocally stated that domestic violence perpetrated in the workplace was
unacceptable and would not be tolerated.

Today, the department adopted a robust workplace policy that
fully responds to the president’s call to federal agencies, and addresses not
only domestic violence in the workplace, but also sexual assault and stalking.

“The impact of domestic and sexual violence is far
reaching,” said Acting Director Bea Hansonof the Office on Violence Against Women.“And it is clear that we all have a part to play in creating a work
environment that is safe for all of us.As we introduce this new policy, we must educate ourselves on how we can
support co-workers who may be experiencing domestic violence, sexual assault,
or stalking.And I am proud that the
Office on Violence Against Women has led the charge in supporting organizations
that work to address domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking in the
workplace.”

The Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), a component of
the U.S. Department of Justice, provides leadership in developing the nation’s
capacity to reduce violence against women through the implementation of the
Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and subsequent legislation.Created in 1995, OVW administers financial
and technical assistance to communities across the country that are developing
programs, policies and practices aimed at ending domestic violence, dating
violence, sexual assault and stalking.In addition to overseeing 22 federal grant programs, OVW often
undertakes initiatives in response to special needs identified by communities
facing acute challenges.More
information is available at www.ovw.usdoj.gov.

If you, or someone you know, are a victim of domestic
violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-SAFE
(7233), 800-787-3224 (TTY).For more
information on resources that may be available to you, visit:
http://www.ovw.usdoj.gov/statedomestic.htm.